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Practice Tips
BY GREG SUESS AND RICHARDSON R. LYNN
RICHARD EWING
The Of Counsel Role and Its Implications for Law Firms
IF AUSTIN POWERS, THE INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY, were
somehow affiliated with an American law firm, he would certainly
be of counsel to that firm. Why? Because the term “of counsel”
seems to be equally shrouded in mystery, with most lawyers not
entirely clear about what the term actually means. Despite this, a growing number of law firms are creating of counsel positions for lawyers—
and these of counsel lawyers play a variety of differing roles depending on the firms they join. The ethical, legal, and practical issues raised
by of counsel relationships are as varied (and often as ambiguous) as
those roles.
Traditionally, many retired partners, in relinquishing their role in
the law firm partnership, have taken the of counsel title, which gives
them an office, administrative support, and the chance to ease from
the scene gracefully. At a minimum, their knowledge and experience
continue to be a firm resource. However, these counsel often act as
if no one told them they were retired, putting in as many hours and
bringing in as much business as before.
Some politicians who are turned out of office become of counsel.
Typically, they become affiliated with firms in Washington, D.C., or
the Washington office, perhaps opened just for them, of a home
state firm. The arrangement gives them a salary with a minimum of
conflicts of interest while they plot their political return or ease into
the work routines of the private sector. In exchange, the firm obtains
a rainmaker with political connections. One of the ultimate
Washington insiders, former Senator Bob Dole, is special counsel—
a variation on of counsel—in the Washington, D.C., office of Alston
Bird.1 Former governors and state office holders are more likely to
join law firms as traditional partners in most states but may also be
brought into a firm as of counsel. Former California Governor Pete
Wilson, for example, is of counsel to the Los Angeles office of the 850lawyer Bingham McCutchen firm and a principal in the Bingham
Consulting Group.2
The of counsel designation covers other substantial but part-time
relationships, such as law professors who work on occasional cases
for a firm, in-house corporate counsel, and lawyers practicing on behalf
of a legal foundation. The rubric also can extend to newly hired
lawyers during a trial period of association.3
During the last 20 years, the of counsel position has broadened
to accommodate the changing practice of law. It has been used, for
example, as a substitute for a “mommy track” to partnership. Indeed,
during the 1990s, the number of women holding of counsel positions
tripled.4 Also, of counsel positions allow law firms to evaluate lateral
hires before making them partners. In addition, the of counsel title
has been bestowed on lawyers whose primary value to a firm is their
business or technological expertise as well as on lawyers who want
to combine jobs in law, business, politics, and education. The of counsel designation also allows small law firms to expand their areas of
expertise and prestige by adding specialists as of counsel with the benefit of little or no increased overhead.
Many law firms are relaxing rigid definitions of lawyers’ roles by
allowing greater flexibility and creativity in devising career paths.5 In
part, these relaxed definitions result from an increasingly competitive
business environment in which attracting and retaining top legal
talent is difficult. Competition has been particularly fierce in the
technology sector; indeed, during the boom of the late 1990s, it was
not unusual for law firms to watch their clients poach the best and
brightest of the firms’ lawyers. A solution devised by some firms was
to allow their lawyers to become of counsel while “lending” them to
client companies.
The rise in of counsel positions is also attributable to the fact that
many lawyers are unsatisfied with their careers and are looking for
alternatives. A lawyer’s tasks often can be tedious and monotonous.
For some lawyers, an of counsel role provides them with the opportunity to try something new and different while maintaining their connection with their law firm.
In the past, a lawyer would typically work for one, or perhaps two,
law firms during his or her lifetime. It is now common practice for
lawyers to jump from firm to firm, from firm to client, from firm to
political office, or from firm to university. The of counsel position
enables law firms to smoothly move lawyers in and out of their
firms while preserving and building relationships and contacts.
A survey of the 50 largest law firms in the Los Angeles County area
reveals that, on average, the firms have designated about 6 percent
of their lawyers as of counsel.6 A review of the background information
of the of counsel lawyers, as provided on law firm Web sites, showed
no significant correlation between the of counsel designation and charGreg Suess is of counsel to the law ﬁrm of Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs,
Glaser, Weil & Shapiro, LLP and is a principal of ROAR, a talent management
and ﬁlm and television production company. Richardson R. Lynn is a professor of law and former dean at Pepperdine University School of Law.
Los Angeles Lawyer July-August 2004 15
acteristics such as age, years practicing law,
practice area, experience, gender, education,
interests, and the like.
Defining Of Counsel
The regulations of the American Bar
Association reflect the evolution of the of
counsel role. The ABA’s 1969 Model Code of
Professional Responsibility required those
listed on a law firm’s letterhead as of counsel to have a substantial connection with the
firm, perhaps to prevent firms from “renting”
the names of famous lawyers who do no real
work with the firms.7 The Model Code was
interpreted to require “a close, daily, in-house
association” between the lawyer and the firm,
excluding the possibility that a lawyer could
be of counsel to more than one firm or a
firm employee.8 The ABA’s view expanded so
that, by 1972, the Model Code was interpreted to permit a lawyer to be of counsel to
a maximum of two law firms, not just one.9
In 1990, the ABA Commission on Ethics
and Professional Responsibility recognized
four kinds of relationships covered by the of
counsel designation: 1) part-time practitioners, 2) retired partners, 3) probationary partners, and 4) permanent senior attorneys.10 At
the same time, four other relationships were
excluded from the of counsel category: 1)
lawyers working together on a single case, 2)
lawyers forwarding or receiving legal business,
3) lawyers and firms involved in collaborative
efforts who were otherwise unrelated, and 4)
outside consultants.11 The “daily contact”
requirement was eliminated, and entire law
firms were permitted to be of counsel to each
other.12
In California, Rule 1-400(E)(8)of the Rules
of Professional Conduct states that a lawyer
cannot be designated as of counsel unless
the relationship between the firm and the of
counsel lawyer is “close, personal, continuous, and regular.”13 California also excludes
partners, associates, officers, and shareholders from the of counsel designation.14 There
is no limit, however, to the number of firms
to which a lawyer or another firm can be of
counsel, provided that the relationship
between a firm and the of counsel lawyer or
firm possesses the attributes listed in Rule 1400 (E)(8).15
Structuring the Relationship
The of counsel relationship should be governed by a written agreement, which should
Checklist for Of Counsel Lawyers
Lawyers who seek to become of counsel need to clarify their relationship with their law ﬁrms and their clients.
Addressing the factors in this list will help of counsel lawyers avoid the traps that may ensnare the
unwary.
✔ Written Agreements.
Consider whether to craft a written agreement with the partnership with which you want to be affiliated as of counsel.
If you or the partnership choose not to do this, examine all the reasons why.
If you and the partnership decide to have a written agreement delineating your relationship, address
carefully what it should include. Consider whether the agreement should cover compensation, indemniﬁcation, insurance, marketing (including letterhead, business cards, Web site, ﬁrm literature, and
the like), and beneﬁts.
✔ Communication.
Decide who should be notiﬁed of the new of counsel relationship. This group will include clients
and insurance companies, among others.
✔ Conflicts of Interest.
Cross-check the law ﬁrm’s clients with your clients. Set forth your affiliations, including service
on boards of directors, memberships in associations, and any positions with nonproﬁt organizations.
Cross-check your contacts with the law ﬁrm’s contacts.
Decide if written conﬂict waivers should be obtained if the list of clients, affiliations, and contacts
reveal any conﬂicts with the law ﬁrm.
Calendar annual, semiannual, and quarterly meetings between the ﬁrm’s ethics committee leadership or consultant and you to review your of counsel relationship. Discuss the relationship periodically between meetings.
✔ Client Review.
Do you have a business or ﬁnancial relationship with a client in addition to your of counsel relationship with a law ﬁrm? If so, make sure you clearly communicate information about the of counsel
relationship, including the conﬂicts it creates, to the client.
If a client is a publicly traded company, you should review the client’s articles, bylaws, and board
charters to determine if any action is required.
Determine if a client has a written ethics policy. If it does, you should ensure that your of counsel relationship complies with the policy.—G.S. & R.R.L.
16 Los Angeles Lawyer July-August 2004
specifically set forth the relationship between
the firm and the of counsel lawyer, clearly
state the compensation arrangements (even if
it only says that there will be separate written agreements for each case on which the of
counsel lawyer works), and provide the manner of terminating the relationship, among
numerous other issues.16
At the outset of the relationship, the firm
and the of counsel lawyer should discuss
(and possibly document) the expectations of
the firm and the lawyer for the of counsel relationship and review their respective clients and
contacts to determine if actual and possible
conflicts of interest may exist. This process
should be revisited periodically as the working relationship between the firm and the of
counsel lawyer evolves.
Because there is, by definition, a “close,
fluid, and continuing relationship between a
firm and an attorney who is of counsel to that
firm,” disqualification rules apply just as if the
of counsel lawyer were a member of the law
firm.17 As California Supreme Court Justice
Ming Chin wrote:
For attorneys in the same firm to represent adverse parties in the same litigation is so patently improper that
the rule of disqualification is a per se
or “automatic” one….Conflicting representations that would disqualify all
of a law firm’s attorneys are not more
acceptable when an attorney of counsel to the firm creates the conflict.
Clients, and the public, should expect
confidentiality and loyalty from attorneys who effectively declare they practice law in a close, personal, and continuing association. These legitimate
expectations would be frustrated if a
firm could represent one party in litigation while an attorney of counsel
to the firm represented an adversary in
the same case.18
Consider a scenario in which a partner in
a law firm accepts a position as general counsel with a client company, and the law firm
changes the partner’s status in the firm to of
counsel. This arrangement maintains the
strong tie between the client and the law
firm, allows other lawyers in the firm access
to the former partner’s knowledge, gives the
former clients of the former partner the sense
that the former partner is still involved in
their matters, and allows the firm to continue to draw upon the former partner’s contacts. The of counsel role for the former partner preserves and strengthens the relationships
among the former partner, the law firm, and
the clients affected by the change in the former partner’s status at the firm.
This new relationship does, however, raise
several legal and ethical issues. Suppose, for
example, the of counsel lawyer reviews and
approves the law firm’s bills on behalf of the
company for which the lawyer is now general
counsel. The lawyer’s tendency, whether consciously or subconsciously, may be to scrutinize the bill with more deference than the
lawyer may have otherwise done, particularly if the lawyer is still receiving compensation from the law firm. The general counsel/of counsel lawyer owes fiduciary duties to
the company (as an executive officer and
lawyer) and the law firm. Those interests
may not always be aligned. In that event, the
company should have the firm’s bills reviewed
by an independent officer at the company,
such as the chief financial officer, or may
even hire an independent legal auditor.
Or suppose the law firm represents two
clients within the same industry, and the of
counsel lawyer is the general counsel to one
of the two clients. Under this scenario, the of
counsel lawyer may have direct access to a
competitor’s confidential attorney-client
information or proprietary information,
which could expose the lawyer to the risk of
facing allegations regarding the theft of trade
secrets. California clearly treats the of counsel lawyer as a partner or associate for purposes of conflict of interest and disqualification rules.19 Therefore, the lawyer’s dual
relationships to the firm as well as one of the
clients must be fully disclosed to both clients.
It would not be surprising if the competitor
decides not to remain a client, but it may be
willing to continue being represented by the
firm because of the value it places on the firm’s services and the trust it has in the of
counsel lawyer. In the entertainment industry,
for example, the degree of importance
ascribed to relationships may explain a competitor’s lack of objection to a conflicting
representation.
When structuring an of counsel relationship, careful consideration should be paid to
California’s attorney-client privilege and the
treatment of confidential information. Under
California law, a client, whether or not a
party to an action, may assert the privilege
to prevent disclosure of confidential communications between the client and its lawyer.
The communications protected by the privilege include information that is transmitted
between a client and its lawyer during the
course of their attorney-client relationship
and that is not disclosed to any third persons
other than anyone present during a consultation to further the interests of the client.20
If a lawyer is both a general counsel to a
company and of counsel to a law firm that has
been engaged by a competitor of the company,
the ability of the company and its competitor to assert the attorney-client privilege may
be adversely affected. Specifically, Section
962 of the California Evidence Code provides: “Where two or more clients have
18 Los Angeles Lawyer July-August 2004
retained or consulted a lawyer upon a matter of common interest, none of them, nor the
successor in interest of any of them, may
claim a privilege under this article as to a communication made in the course of that relationship when such communication is offered
in a civil proceeding between one of such
clients (or his successor in interest) and
another of such clients (or his successor in
interest).” For the clients addressed in this
statute, the attorney-client privilege may not
exist in any disputes among the clients that
may arise in the future in connection with the
action for which the lawyer was retained.21
Thus, both the general counsel’s employer
and the law firm’s other client must be advised
of the potential conflict of interest and the possible loss of attorney-client confidentiality if
the companies ever become adversaries in a
later proceeding.
Professional Conduct
Of counsel lawyers frequently are board
members and/or executive officers of public
companies listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, AMEX, and NASDAQ. As mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,22
the Securities and Exchange Commission has
adopted rules that establish standards of professional conduct for all attorneys who handle securities law matters on behalf of public companies.23 The SEC increasingly is
turning its enforcement focus to lawyers, and
of counsel lawyers should take note. The
attorney conduct rules establish specific guidelines that a securities lawyer must follow
when representing a public company.24
Specifically, an attorney who represents a
public company must comply with the SEC’s
“up the ladder” reporting requirement if the
attorney believes there is evidence of a material violation by the company of federal securities laws. The attorney must report the violation to the company’s chief legal officer
(CLO) and possibly the chief executive officer (CEO).25 Is there a conflict of interest if
the CLO or the CEO is also of counsel to the
company’s law firm? Maybe. The rule requires
that the reporting lawyer must be satisfied that
the violation is being addressed in a competent manner. This means if the CLO or CEO
has not properly handled the issue, the lawyer
must report the violation first to the company’s audit committee, then to the committee
of independent directors, and finally to the full
board.26 The Sarbanes-Oxley regulations permit the reporting lawyer to bypass the
CLO/CEO level and report the possible violation directly to the audit committee, independent directors, or the full board when
reporting the violation would be futile27—as
it may be when the CLO has a conflict of
interest caused by his or her position as of
counsel to a law firm.
Section 406 of Sarbanes-Oxley also
requires public companies to disclose whether
they have written ethics policies (and if they
do not, why this is so).28 Of counsel lawyers
who have a relationship with a public company should obtain a copy of the company’s
code of ethics to determine if 1) the company
is complying with the statute and 2) the of
counsel relationship is in compliance with
the ethics policy.
Section 301 of Sarbanes-Oxley requires
that each member of the audit committee of
a publicly traded company be “independent.”29 Attorneys who are of counsel to a
law firm representing a company and also a
member of that company’s audit committee
are not independent. The new rules state that
an attorney who represents a company,
including of counsel attorneys, can no longer
serve on the company’s audit committee.
Of counsel lawyers who are officers, managers, directors, or interest holders of a client
company should be aware that the company’s
articles of incorporation or formation as well
as bylaws and operating agreements may
govern the relationship between the of counsel lawyer, the law firm, and the company. A
company’s bylaws, for example, may specifically address issues of independence, conflicts
of interest, and interested party transactions—
all matters that may have an impact on the
of counsel relationship. In addition, many
of counsel lawyers belong to other professional associations and organizations that
may regulate their professional conduct. For
example, an of counsel lawyer also could be
a partner in an accounting firm, requiring
an examination of the rules and regulations
governing accountants.
When a law firm creates an of counsel
position or takes on a new client brought in
by an of counsel lawyer, the firm must take
into consideration the mandate of Rule 3-500
of the Rules of Professional Conduct, which
states that “a member shall keep a client reasonably informed about significant developments relating to the employment or representation.” For example, a client company
should be informed that a member of its
board of directors is also of counsel to its law
firm, and that this relationship creates a conflict of interest. The of counsel lawyer and the
law firm should notify the client in writing,
setting forth in sufficient detail the nature of
the relationship and how it may affect the
client.
Liability
A law firm may be liable for the torts committed by a lawyer who is of counsel to the
firm and employed by the firm. The liability
flows from the doctrine of respondeat superior or because the firm negligently chose or
supervised the of counsel lawyer.30 In the
case of nonemployee of counsel lawyers, the
firm will be liable vicariously if it created
actual authority for the of counsel lawyer or
if there is apparent authority. A firm may
create vicarious liability by authorizing an of
counsel lawyer to perform specific tasks on the
firm’s behalf, such as 1) signing checks, 2)
entering into contracts, 3) negotiating and settling fees and fee disputes, 4) engaging clients,
and 5) hiring and firing attorneys and staff.
The firm may also be vicariously liable if the
of counsel attorney performs these tasks without authority but no objection is made.
Law firms and their of counsel lawyers
must address the issue of malpractice insurance. Law firm malpractice insurance policies
typically treat of counsel lawyers the same as
partners and associates. While the malpractice history of each lawyer in the firm (including claims filed, paid, or litigated) must be disclosed to the insurance carrier, the exposure
created by of counsel lawyers is no greater
than for any other lawyer. Indeed, if the of
counsel status reflects a part-time role, the
exposure may be even smaller.
Careful attention also must be given to letterhead designations, which can minimize
common liability claims for malpractice.
Listing the of counsel lawyers on law firm letterhead without designating the lawyers as of
counsel or incorporating the of counsel lawyer
in the law firm name creates an impression
that the of counsel lawyers are partners or
employees.31 Malpractice insurance carriers
often require that a firm create letterhead
that specifically designates the of counsel
lawyers, and the firm should only use that letterhead in matters on which the of counsel
lawyers are working. The best practice is for
of counsel lawyers to use their own letterhead
for all aspects of a representation that they
undertake on behalf of the law firm.
Few law firms follow that practice, however, apparently because they believe that
listing their of counsel lawyers on their letterhead adds prestige to their firms or serves
to promote their firms. Even when a firm
uses discrete sets of law firm letterhead for
each of counsel, of counsel lawyers should not
use the law firm letterhead for matters unrelated to the law firm because that would convey the impression to clients and others that
the law firm was lending its support to the of
counsel when it was not.
Suppose a law firm is being sued for malpractice and fraud, and all of the partners and
of counsel lawyers have been named personally. Whether an of counsel lawyer can be
held personally liable along with the partners
in a malpractice and fraud action is a question of fact. Under California general partnership law, the partners of a law firm can be
liable for the debts of the partnership.32 As
one California court held, “A person dealing
with a partnership usually is in no position to
know of special agreements between the partners and thus cannot be charged with knowledge of such agreements absent specific
notice.”33 In determining whether an of counsel lawyer with a firm is clothed with the
apparent authority of a partner, a court will
look at several factors:
1) Does the firm have a written partnership
agreement, and if so, is there a written agreement between the of counsel lawyer and the
firm?
2) How is the of counsel lawyer presented to
clients, the community, local bar associations, and the State Bar?
3) What do the firm’s letterhead and Web
site state about the of counsel lawyer?
4) How is the of counsel lawyer presented on
his or her business card?
5) How is the of counsel lawyer compensated—as an independent contractor who
receives a Form 1099 or as a partner who
receives a distribution of profits?
6) Does the law firm’s malpractice insurance
application mention the of counsel lawyer
and, if so, with what words?
7) Has the of counsel lawyer guaranteed any
of the firm’s obligations (such as a lease)?
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Compensation
Compensation arrangements for of counsel
lawyers are as varied as the types of of counsel relationships. For an of counsel lawyer
engaged by a firm as a salaried consultant,
there may be a range of bonus configurations, including those based on billable hours,
billed and collected revenue, and percentage
of contingency awards. An of counsel lawyer
could receive a profit participation in the
firm, which is often coupled with a straight
gross revenue share of the fees paid by the of
counsel lawyer’s clients. Of counsel lawyers
may be hired as independent contractors.
Still other of counsel lawyers are provided
with office space, administrative assistance,
and medical benefits.
Of counsel lawyers should be aware of
Rule 2-200 of the Rules of Professional
Conduct when entering into compensation
arrangements with a law firm.34 If there is a
financial arrangement between a firm and
an of counsel lawyer that involves the of
counsel lawyer being paid a percentage of a
client’s fees paid to the firm, the rule requires
a full disclosure to the client of the arrangement and the written consent of the client to
its terms.35
The expanding definition and use of the
of counsel role allows law firms and lawyers
greater flexibility in structuring their relationships. Generally, this flexibility is good for
the practice of law, but it can also create
problems. Careful consideration at the beginning of the of counsel relationship and peri-
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Los Angeles Lawyer July-August 2004 19
odic reviews of the relationship can help to
minimize conflicts of interest, determine liability, and assign risk, as well as create a
long-lasting and profitable working alliance.
Law firms and of counsel lawyers must
make sure that they obtain appropriate conflict waivers, ensure confidential and privileged communications with their clients, and
disclose fee-sharing arrangements when
appropriate.
■
1
http://www.bobdole.org/current.html.
http://www.bingham.com/bingham/webadmin
/documents/radBOF5C.pdf.
3 See R ESTATEMENT (T HIRD ) OF L AW G OVERNING
LAWYERS §9 cmt. F (2000).
4 Round the Industry: Many Associates View
Partnership Undesirable or Unattainable, 18 LEGAL
MANAGEMENT No. 6 (1999).
5 Barbara A. Buchholz, Of Counsel: It’s Not Just for
Retiring, Anymore, 81 A.B.A. J. 70 (Oct. 1995).
6 The authors reviewed the lawyer rosters of the 50
largest law firms in “The 2004 List” in the Los Angeles
Business Journal.
7 M ODEL C ODE OF P ROF ’ L R ESPONSIBILITY DR 2102(A)(4) (1980).
8 ABA Comm. on Ethics and Prof’l Responsibility,
Informal Op. 1173 (1971).
9 ABA Comm. on Ethics and Prof’l Responsibility,
Formal Op. 330 (1972).
10 ABA Comm. on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Formal Op. 90-357 (1990).
11 Id. See also H AROLD G. W REN & B EVERLY J.
GLASCOCK, THE OF COUNSEL AGREEMENT 30 (2d ed.
1998).
12 ABA Comm. on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Formal Op. 90-357 (1990).
13 CAL. RULES OF PROF’L CONDUCT R. 1-400(E)(8).
14 Id.
15 State Bar of Cal., Standing Comm. on Prof’l Responsibility and Conduct, Formal Op. 1993-129.
16 WREN & GLASCOCK, supra note 11. This was written for the Senior Lawyer Division of the ABA and is
the best resource for written of counsel agreements.
17 People ex rel. Dep’t. of Corr. v. SpeeDee Oil Change
Sys., Inc., 20 Cal. 4th 1135, 1154 (1999).
18 Id. at 1139-40.
19 Id.
20 EVID. CODE §952.
21 Rockwell Int’l Corp. v. Superior Court, 26 Cal.
App. 4th 1255, 1267 (1994).
22 15 U.S.C. §7245.
23 17 C.F.R. §205 (2003).
24 See http://www.lacba.org/ShowPage.cfm?PageID
=2663. This practitioner-oriented Web site contains a
number of links and documents regarding SarbanesOxley.
25 17 C.F.R. §205.3(b)(1) (2003).
26 17 C.F.R. §205.3(b)(3) (2003).
27 17 C.F.R. §205.3(b)(4) (2003).
28 15 U.S.C. §7264.
29 15 U.S.C. §78j-1(m)(3)(B).
30 WREN & GLASCOCK, supra note 11.
31 Jill Schachner Chanen, Playing by the Roles, 84
A.B.A. J. 86 (Nov. 1998).
32 CORP. CODE §16306(a).
33 Blackmon v. Hale, 1 Cal. 3d 548, 558 (1970).
34 CAL. RULES OF PROF’L CONDUCT R. 2-200(a); see
Huskinson & Brown, LLP v. Wolf, 32 Cal. 4th 453,
458 (2004).
35 CAL. RULES OF PROF CONDUCT R. 2-200(a)(1). See
also State Bar of Cal., Standing Comm. on Prof’l
Responsibility and Conduct, Formal Op. No. 1994-138.
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